Racers announced for the 55th STIHL National Championship Air Races in Reno

by Issmar Ventura

Tuesday, September 11th 2018

Racers announced for the 55th STIHL National Championship Air Races in Reno

RENO, Nev. — The Reno Air Racing Association (RARA) is pleased to announce the highly-anticipated racing lineup for the 55th STIHL National Championship Air Races, scheduled September 12-16, 2018 at Reno-Stead Airport.

The event will feature six racing classes including Unlimited, Jet, Sport, T6, Formula One and Biplane, with speeds reaching over 500 miles per hour.

Defending Gold champions returning this year include Rick Vandam flying American Spirit in the Jet Class, Jeff Lavelle flying Race 39 in the Sport Class, John Lohmar flying Radial Velocity in the T6 Class, Lowell Slatter flying Fraed Naught in the Formula One Class and Andrew Buehler flying Phantom in the Biplane Class.

Returning to Reno this year following long absences in the Unlimited Class are Brent Hisey flying Miss America, Mike Brown flying Goldfinger (formerly Risky Business) and Lady B, previously known as Bardahl Miss, will be flown by Michael Pfleger. Graeme Frew, flying Full Noise is returning to Reno for the second year in a row from New Zealand, and for the first time in decades a P63 Kingcobra will round the pylons at Reno.

"This is an exciting lineup of talented pilots flying beautiful planes, and we expect to see some close and competitive racing in all of the classes," said Tony Logoteta, RARA COO. "We are really looking forward to welcoming back some teams that haven't been to Reno in years and also seeing all of the members of this passionate racing community that follow our one-of-kind event."

In the Unlimited class, the following racers are scheduled to participate:

Brant Seghetti - Blondie

Brent Hisey - Miss America

Curt Brown - Sawbones

Dan Vance - Speedball Alice

Dennis Sanders - Eagle's Wings

Graeme Frew - Full Noise

Jim "JD" Dale - Pretty Polly

JP Thibodeau - Crusader

Joel Swager - Dreadnought

Mark Watt - 924G

Michael Pfleger - Lady B

Mike Brown - Goldfinger

Rob Gordan - Lady Jo

Sherman Smoot - Argonaut

Tom Nightingale - Bunny

Pace Plane: Steve Hinton T33-Pace

Alternate Pace: Kevin Eldridge

Safety: Robert Patterson Wee Willy

Alternate Pilots:

Joe Thibodeau

Mark Moodie

In the Jet class, the following racers are scheduled to participate:

Alexandre Eckmann - Race 37

Bob McCormack - Athena

Charlie Camilleri - Blue Ice

J. Kevin Roll - Miss Independence

Jeff Turney - Robin 1

Jim Beyer - Poky

Joe Gano - Sluggo

Lachie Onslow - Drop Bear

Larry Labriola - Sarance

Nathan Harnagel - Realty Czech

Pete Stavrides - American Patriot

Peter A. Zaccagnino - Just Lucky

Rick Vandam - American Spirit

Scott Farnsworth - Dash Force One

Vicky Benzing - Darkstar II

Zachary McNeill - Invictus

Pace Plane: Jay Obernolte The Mistress

Alternate Pilots:

Doug Matthews

Michael Pflegar

Michael Stieger

In the Sport class, the following racers are scheduled to participate:

Abe Gaskins - Under Dog

Andrew Findlay - One Moment

Bill Koleno - Joker

Bob Mills - Mojo

Chiwami Takagi-Read - Legacy

Dan West - Whiskey Tango

Dave Morss - Martins Legacy

David Robinson - Desert Lightning

David Sterling - No Name

Elliot Seguin - Wasabinought

Ernie O. Sutter - Jus Pass'n Thru

George Catalano - Bigger Dingo

James Stringer - Rocket Six

Jason Rovery - Sport 76

Jeff Lavelle - Race 39

Jessy Panzer - Cruse Missile

Jim Rust - Race 24

John Flanagan - Greenstreak

Karl Grove - GA 1

Kirk Murphy - Papa's Ride

Lee Ulrich - General Lee

Louis Gabriel - Blind Luck

Marc Frederickson - Tenacity

Mathias Haid - Clas Thunder I

Matt Beaubien - Low Motion

Neil Wischer - Triple 8

Paul Downing - Sport 36

Peter A. Zaccagnino - Coming In Hot

Peter Balmer - Swiss Thunder

Richard Ogg - Neverbird

Scott Prewitt - Phantom Rocket

Sean Vanhatten - Havoc

Skylor Piper - Miss Ruby S.

Tom McNerney - Unleashed

Vicky Benzing - Lucky Too

Vince Walker - Modo Mio

Pace Plane:

Bob Mills El Toro

Rick Vandam - Phoenix

Alternate Pace Pilots:

Kevin Eldredge

Mark Johnson

Michael Steiger

Alternate Pilots:

Dan Ballin

Jay Adams

In the T-6 class, the following racers are scheduled to participate:

Bill Muszala - Miss Ellaneous

Chris Lefave - Bare Essentials

Chris Rushing - Barons Revenge

Dennis Buehn - Midnight Miss III

Eric Woelbing - Miss TNT

Gene McNeely - Baby Boomer

Greg McNeely - Undecided

John Lohmar - Radial Velocity

Lee Oman - Eros

Michael Pfleger - Miss Informed

Nick S. Macy - Six-Cat

Pete Stavrides - Gotcha!

Ralph J. Rina - Miss Humboldt Hunny

Vic McMann - Gunslinger

Vitaly Pecherskyy - Abracadabra

William Walker III - Big Red

Pace Plane: Rick Siegfried T6 Pace

Alternate Pilots:

Joey "Gordo" Sanders

Kevin Sutterfield

Mike Scott

Rob Sanberg

In the Formula One class, the following racers are scheduled to participate:

Anders Trygg - Miss Eve

Casey Erickson - ACME Special

Eric Gavin - Sonic Zoom

Jason Barksdale - Tony the Tiger

Jerry Marshall - Tumbleweed

Jim Jordan - Miss Min

Justin Meaders - Limitless

Justin Phillipson - No Strings Attached

Justin Phillipson - Sleeper

Kent Jackson - Once More

Lio V. Mougel - Hysteria

Lowell Slatter - Fraed Naught

Matthew Coughlin - Judy

Merce Marti - Heat Stroke

Paul Newman - Fast and Easy

Phllip Goforth - Annie

Rob Michie - Sassy Sangoma

Ross Killin - The Kraken

Ryszard Zadow - Last Lap Player

Scott Holmes - Outlaw

Steve Senegal - Endeavor

Steve Temple - Outrageous

Steve Tumlin - Feisty

In the Biplane class, the following racers are scheduled to participate:

Alan Hoover - There Be Dragons

Andrew Buehler - Mistress

Andrew Buehler - Phantom

Anthony Oshinuga - Black Hawk

Casey Erickson - The Batplane

Eric Zine - Yellow Fever

Jeffrey Lo - Miss Dianne

John A. D'Alessandris - RB Special

Marie-Claire Laberge - The Yellow Bomber

Robert Austen - FReaKY

Sam Swift - Smokin' Hot

Scott McDonald - Christen Eagle

Scott Thompson - Second Hand

Tommy Suell - PlaneJunkies

"Tony" Minoru Higa - Tango Tango

Racing qualifications for all classes started on Sunday, September 9th at 8:00 a.m. and end on Wednesday, September 12th. Racing will begin the afternoon of Wednesday, September 12th.

Tickets are on sale for the 55th annual STIHL National Championship Air Races held September 12-16, 2018 at Reno Stead Airport.